May 15, 2008

How does this guy Dew it?

When CNBC’s Squawk Box broadcasts live May 16 from downtown Atlanta, its hosts will be speaking with some of the most powerful and legendary businessmen in the city.

Tom Cousins (Cousins Properties founder), Bernie Marcus (Home Depot co-founder), Dan Amos (chairman and CEO of ducky Aflac), David Ratcliffe (chairman, president and CEO of Southern Co.) , Dan Truett (president of Chick-fil-A and son of founder Truett Cathy) and Richard Smith (Equifax CEO) all are scheduled to appear when the all-business-news channel broadcasts from the World of Coca-Cola and Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta.

And then there’s John Dewberry. Dewberry is CEO of Dewberry Capital Corp., which is developing a multi-building complex on the northern edge of Midtown Atlanta. He’s done some admirable things in his career as a real estate developer but right now probably is more well-known for being a Georgia Tech quarterback who beat the rival Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges in Athens

It’s pretty impressive that Dewberry is on this list of CNBC Atlanta business celebrities. Dewberry is a natural with the press, and reporters like his style. But some of the credit has to go to his in-house PR guy, Dan Beeson. Beeson is very well-connected with the national media, and he played a big role in getting Dewberry slotted on the show.

So tomorrow, Dewberry will share the spotlight with Tom Cousins, the man who built half the city. Of course with Cousins being a Georgia Bulldog, he might not like being so close to Dewberry. But, it’s good for the city to have so many business heroes spotlighted, and it’s good for the Dew to be positioned with them.

Of course, it also will give us a chance to find out whether Dewberry still dates Marla Maples from time to time.